Humanities

June 17, 2019

A ‘Jack of All Trades’ Turns to Writing

Jack Cashman ’73 has worn many hats in his adult life. A long career in the insurance and commercial real estate businesses. Magazine publisher. Old Town City Councilor and Maine State Legislator. Major policymaking roles as Special Advisor to Maine Governor John Baldacci ’86, State Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, and Maine Public Utilities…

June 17, 2019

Leighton ’87G Ends 45-Year Career as Gouldsboro Educator

Sally Leighton ’87G, Peninsula School Principal and longtime Milbridge, ME resident, will retire from her career in education this month. “I’ve just enjoyed [my work] so much,” she reflected in an interview with the Ellsworth American. “I’m really going to miss it. But it’s time.” During her long career Leighton frequently explained to students why…

June 17, 2019

Penobscot Language Signs Installed on Campus

New signs with place names in Penobscot language were recently installed on campus as part of a collaboration between the university and the Penobscot Nation. This collaboration follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding which focuses on creating positive, mutually beneficial relationships between the campus community and Native community members. “At its core [the…

May 17, 2019

Di Giovanni ’83 Receives Guggenheim Fellowship

Award-winning journalist and author Janine di Giovanni ’83, Jackson Senior Fellow and Professor of Practice at Yale, was recently named a 2019 Guggenheim Fellow. She is one of 168 scholars, artists, and writers selected this year. The award will allow Di Giovanni the opportunity to pursue research on minorities in the Middle East for a…

April 17, 2019

Lukens Shares Love of Literature and Humanities

Margo Lukens, professor of English and director of the Clement and Linda McGillicuddy Humanities Center, enjoys exploring literature of different time periods and cultures. Teaching both Native American and European literatures of colonization allows her to introduce and facilitate discussions of widely different perspectives with her students. Lukens is the April recipient of the Alumni…

February 11, 2019

Socolow Has Made a Career of Combining Journalism and History

Having worked as a broadcast journalist and studied its history, communication and journalism professor Mike Socolow brings a unique perspective to the classroom. He teaches about the history of mass journalism, and has a particular interest in the early decades of American radio. Socolow, who was raised in Washington, D.C., joined the UMaine faculty in…

December 7, 2018

UMaine Professor finds pesticides in Alaskan glacier and meltwater

Research assistant professor Kimberley Miner ’18 Ph.D. recently discovered pesticide pollutants, including the insecticide DDT, in an unlikely place: a remote Alaskan glacier and its meltwater. The pesticides, Miner states, were deposited and stored near the surface of the Jarvis Glacier in Alaska and are more than likely transported from Asia where they are used…

November 9, 2018

“Healing Our Democracy” the Theme of UMaine’s Annual Mitchell Lecture

Former U.S. Senator George Mitchell presented the annual Mitchell Lecture on Sustainability on Oct. 4 on campus. “Healing Our Democracy” addressed some of the economic, social, and political factors that contribute to the polarization in the U.S. today. Besides discussing the challenges that polarization presents, Senator Mitchell also addressed some of the ways that communities…

November 9, 2018

‘Framing Maine’ Series Features Authors Who Write About Maine

Paul Doiron and Kristen Lindquist were featured at the Nov. 8th Framing Maine series titled Framing Maine: Conversations with Storytellers and Imagemakers from the Pine Tree State. The event included readings from their works, discussions on writing as a craft, and how the state of Maine has influenced their writing. Doiron and Lindquist, husband and…